


The Witch of the New World

by LittleWingedKuriboh



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga), Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Akemi Homura is Kira, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, no betas we die like Light, ships are implicit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:46:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWingedKuriboh/pseuds/LittleWingedKuriboh
Summary: I want you to make a Contract with me, and become a Magical Girl!I will grant you one wish, any wish you desire.Anything at all! I can grant you even the most impossible of miracles!Hm? Magical… Boys? We’ve never had much luck with such things.However, this “Yagami” could prove to be a very strange case, indeed…
Relationships: Akemi Homura/Tamaki Iroha, Tamaki Iroha/Yagami Light
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDJjBQ1u_TA
> 
> Basically, I found this thing of "What if Light never became Kira?" and I really wanted to expand upon it myself, but I also always wanted to see/make a Wraith Arc Magia Record that I kept getting stuck on premise-wise, so I just thought "Let me do both!"

At first, Homura Akemi didn’t seem to have much potential as a Magical Girl, so when her wish for “power” gave her the ability to stop time, Kyubey decided to monitor her. Homura had told Kyubey about “Witches”, and he wanted to experiment with the idea. Creating a controlled environment and the correct circumstances for such an experiment had taken three years, and it still wasn’t ready. For it was that very night when Homura’s Soul Gem was just impure enough that he first experienced what humans call a “dream.” 

It was of a boy with a little black notebook. For 37 nights, these “dreams” continued that story. He wasn’t sure what to make of them at first. Perhaps, an omen against the Witch experiment? But something interesting happened on that 38th day…

Homura made quick work of the Wraiths, as usual, with Kyubey sitting snugly on her shoulder. She stopped time to ensure that the Moksha could not escape her final blow, and that’s when they saw him. The same boy from Kyubey’s dreams, despite having died the night prior. Homura’s hand fell from the string of her bow, prematurely launching the attack, and the boy vanished as quickly as he appeared.

With the leader of the colony defeated, Kyubey made his rounds to check on the other girls in the city. Homura was just a few blocks from the motel she was staying at when she saw the boy again. He stared down almost absently at a black leather notebook. “If you want to change your fate, come to Kamihama City. Here, Magical Girls can be saved. Magical Girls… are justice.” And the boy disappeared again.

But the notebook remained.

Homura walked over to pick it up, now able to read the words embedded on the cover. “Death Note?” She skimmed through the contents of the first page. “‘How to Use It: The human whose name is written in this note shall die.’ Yeah, right. It’s probably just some sort of copypasta."

She took the notebook home with her anyway. There must have been something wrong with her to even consider it. “‘This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person’s face in their mind when writing his or her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected. If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person’s name, it will happen. If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack. After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next six minutes and 40 seconds.’ Pretty in-depth, for a prank. So I just need a name and face, and that person dies…”

Homura’s attention turned to the news on TV. They were reporting on a hostage situation at a daycare center. The face and name of the suspect were shown: Kurou Otoharada. Homura thought back to when she first made her contract, everything she remembered from her past life, Madoka and that… Witch in a constant battle, and she got an idea. Having gotten a wonderful, awful idea, she wrote down the man’s name. “A heart attack in 40 seconds? We’ll see…”

The allotted time had passed, and nothing. Homura was about to switch the TV off in disappointment when all of the hostages were shown rushing out, unharmed. There was talk of “the suspect is now dead” and “hostages report he just suddenly collapsed.”

“It has to be a coincidence, right?” Homura thought. “But if it _is_ real, can it really destroy that Witch Madoka’s fighting?” She had to test it again to be sure, but that could be done on patrol tomorrow. Right now, it was getting late.

* * *

A man named Takou and his gang were “bothering” a young woman. It caught Homura’s eye, but she pretended to ignore it, discreetly slipping the Death Note out of her bag. She was honestly lucky Sayaka wasn’t around anymore. There was no risk of her pulling some sort of “hero of justice” stunt and thwarting her experiment. Takuo held the woman by her throat with a metal rod, commanding his gang to “strip her down, right here!” She was begging them to stop, screaming for help. Homura looked down at the completed entry: Takuo Shibuimaru, accidental death. “Now, what will happen?...”

40 seconds passed, as was detailed, before the woman escaped their grasp and ran for her life across the street. Takuo revved his bike and drove after her, only to be hit head-on by a freight truck. And what’s more, in an instant, all of the nearby Wraiths vanished into thin air, dying with the curse they were born from. “That settles it…” Homura decided. “The Death Note is real… I can change Madoka’s fate!...”

* * *

"It's been five days. Now then, I'd better get going."

"Where are you headed, Ryuk?" the cat-like creature questioned. "I'd hate to tell you, but your whole world looks like this."

"That's true," replied the Shinigami, "but I've dropped my Death Note."

The other Shinigami began to laugh.

"You really messed things up, didn't you?"

"Hold on a sec, didn't you already trick the Old Man into getting you a second book? Don't tell me ya dropped both of 'em."

"You must have some idea where you dropped it." Kyubey continued. "The human world, right? I thought I warned you about letting it fall into Light Yagami's hands."

"Sure, I'm bored out of my mind here, but I'm not _that_ reckless! Besides," Ryuk picked Kyubey up by the scruff of his neck. "you're coming with me."


	2. Rebirth

Homura opened the notebook and stared at all the names she had written over the past week, occasionally shifting her gaze out the sliding glass door at the empty streets, free of Wraiths. She marvelled at her work, giggling maniacally.

“You’ve taken quite a liking to it…”

Homura turned to wherever the voice came from. Upon seeing who or what it belonged to, she screamed and fell out of her chair.

“No need to act so surprised.” said the creature. “I am the Shinigami, Ryuk. That used to be my notebook. And judging by your laughter, I bet you’ve already figured out that what you have is no ordinary diary.”

“A god of death, huh? Well, I’m not surprised.” Homura stood, giving her signature hair flip. “In fact, I’ve been waiting for you, Ryuk… It didn’t take me long to figure out that this “Death Note” is real. And now that I’ve witnessed the proof of its power, I only feel more confident in what I’m going to do…”

“Interesting. I certainly wasn’t expecting this. Several Death Notes have made their way into the human world in the past, but you’re the first I’ve seen to have written this many names.” Ryuk gestured to the notebook laid out on the desk. “Look at how many people you’ve killed in just five days. Most are reluctant to write this much.”

Homura smirked. “I’ve already prepared myself, Ryuk. I’ve weakened the last remaining Witch as much as I could, knowing the Death Note belonged to Shinigami, and now, that Shinigami has come. So, what will happen to me? You’re here to take my soul, right?” She held out her Soul Gem, which was perfectly clear.

“What do you mean? Is that some fantasy you Magical Girls came up with? That anyone who dares deny the blessing of the Law of Cycles is taken away instead by a god of death?” Ryuk rolled his eyes. “Save your breath, I’m not gonna do anything to you. The notebook becomes property of the human realm from the moment it touches the earth. If you don’t want it, you can always give it to someone else. But if you do, I’ll have no choice but to erase your memory of it.”

“So, the book is mine, now? I can continue to weaken that Witch and I won’t be punished?”

“Let’s just say this. You will feel the fear and pain known only to humans who have used the Death Note. And anyone who has ever used one can neither go to Heaven nor Hell for all eternity, so I guess you have something to look forward to when your Soul Gem gets too dark.”

A knock came at the door. Kyoko was standing at the edge of the woods behind the motel.

“It’ll be alright. Go and talk to her.”

Homura stepped out to meet the other Magical Girl. “What is it?”

“You never showed up to patrol today.” Kyoko responded. “Figured you prolly just weren’t feelin’ well, so I brought ya some apples.”

“Thank you, but, if you don’t mind, I still have some studying to catch up on. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Homura took the bag from Kyoko and slid the door shut behind her, drawing the curtains. “What was that? Why couldn’t she see you?”

“That notebook you found originally belonged to me, and since you’re now using, you are the only one able to see me. And of course, my voice can only be heard by you.” Ryuk took an apple from the bag as Homura set it down at the foot of her bed. “In other words, the Death Note is the bond between Homura, the Magical Girl, and Ryuk, the Shinigami.”

“I just have one more thing I want to ask you. Why was I chosen for this?”

“Wh-what do you mean “chosen”?” Ryuk stammered. “I only dropped the thing because I was bored.”

“You were… _bored?_...”

Ryuk nodded, still somewhat nervous. “The truth is, Shinigami don’t have much to do these days. Most of the time, we’re either taking naps or gambling. And if you take time to write names in your Death Note, the others just laugh at you for working so hard. I figured I’d have more fun if I came down here myself. That’s why I wrote out the instructions. It just _happened_ to fall around here and you just _happened_ to pick it up, that’s it. What, you think you were actually chosen because of your willpower or something? D-don’t be so vain.”

“Likely story.” Homura scoffed. "You sent him here, didn’t you?” 

“Sent who?”

“This boy appeared before me and said, ‘If you want to change your fate, come to Kamihama City.’ Something about saving Magical Girls and justice. He had this book with him, but when he disappeared, it was still there.”

Ryuk sighed in annoyance. “It must’ve been that Light kid Kyubey warned me about.”

“Kyubey?!”

“Yes. If you wanna know the truth, Incubators are just a fancy type of Shinigami, like how you humans have different-colored versions of each other. Kyubey told me about these dreams he was having. A boy named Light Yagami who obtained my Death Note and swore he would become “the god of the new world,” which ultimately led to his demise. That little rat took more than enough care in making sure I didn’t let him get his hands on it. So, what about you?”

“Well, to be honest,” Homura turned back to the door, opening the curtains slightly. “I’ve been bored, too… I wasn’t ready to believe it at first, but it’s obvious now. At first, I wrote the names of the worst criminals I could think of, like I was cleaning up the world, one name at a time, so that eventually, that Witch wouldn’t have any more despair to be born from. And while the truly guilty ones who deserve to be punished for their crimes die of heart attacks, the lesser guilty people who still cause trouble will slowly be erased through disease and accidental deaths. Then, and only then, will the world start moving in the right direction. It’ll truly be the world she wished for. I’m finally strong enough to protect Madoka, just as I promised. All I need is a name, a face, a pen, and this notebook…”

Ryuk stared blankly at her, thinking to himself, “Humans are so interesting…”


	3. Confrontation

“There was more violence across the city today,” came from the television speakers. “Another stabbing, this time at a restaurant in the heart of the Kabuki-cho district of Shinjuku.” Homura wrote down the suspects’ names as they were broadcast.

“Hey, Homura. Why are you working so hard?”

“I can’t afford to waste any time. I have a very small window to write names in this notebook. I only have from when I get home from school until I have to go out and hunt Wraiths each night, and then I go straight to bed when I get back. Even without any resulting health problems as a Magical Girl, I still need to sleep, and I can’t let myself get too tired. It will start to affect my physical  _ and  _ mental performance. If I’m serious about creating a world that Madoka Kaname would be proud of, then I need to make the most of my time.”

* * *

Ui watched the news displayed on the monitors of the train. “Last night in the West Tokyo penitentiary, Naoki Koro Kitayama, originally sentenced to fifteen years for armed robbery, was reported to have died of a sudden heart attack at the age of thirty-two. This is just the most recent death in the steadily growing number of cases involving inmates dying of heart attacks.”

“This is crazy. Did ya catch that, Sis?” said Ui.

“Yeah. Criminals have been dropping like flies lately, and so have the Wraiths.” Ui’s older sister, Iroha, replied. “I’d like to say  _ that _ was due to us, but who knows, right? Not getting our hands on any more Grief Seeds is a bit of a problem, though, but it’s better than Wraiths hurting innocent people.”

Another Magical Girl they were meeting with, Kuroe, shared her own thoughts on the matter. “Have either of you heard any rumors lately?”

“About what?”

* * *

Homura scrolled and scrolled through webpages, fascinated. “Ryuk, you should come and see this.”

Ryuk moved to stand behind her. “What is it?”

“Websites like this are popping up everywhere lately.”

“The Rumor of Kira the Savior… sounds pretty cool. Is that about you?”

Homura nodded. “I think they’ve taken the name “Kira” from the English word “killer.” Can’t say I’m too happy about that, but it looks like that’s the name they’ve given me. When I search the word “Kira,” I’m pulling up tons of websites just like this one. The media hasn’t picked up on it yet; they’re still calling this a succession of unexplained deaths among the world’s most hardened criminals. But the people can already sense that something’s happening. They know there’s someone out there passing righteous judgement on the wicked.”

Ryuk stared at the URL. “Kamihama Rumors Forum? Didn’t you say something about going to Kamihama?”

“I won’t need to, now that I can change Madoka’s fate with the Death Note. The innocent are cheering for Kira in their hearts because they have nothing to fear, while those who have done wrong are on the run, forced to hide from an unknown enemy. This is how it should be. It’s perfect. Everything is going just as I planned…”

* * *

“This boy appears and says, ‘Come to Kamihama City. If you make it there, you can be saved from all this. You will be justice.’”

Iroha’s eyes widened. “Kyubey made a Contract with a boy?!”

“It’s hard to say for sure.”

“So, this guy’s just been going around saying Magical Girls can be saved if they go to Kamihama? What exactly does that mean?”

“It means we wouldn’t have to fight Wraiths.”

“There aren’t any Wraiths in Kamihama? But, if there are Wraiths in other areas, and Magical Girls aren’t there to fight them-”

Kuroe cut her off. “It’s more than that. He said we will become justice. I think that means we can defeat Kira if we go there.”

Ui tugged at her sister’s sleeve. “Hey, Sis, the train just went right past our stop.”

“We can just get off at the next one.” Iroha reassured her little sister, patting her head. “How far are you taking the train, Kuroe?”

“Kamihama…”

* * *

The news said something about a live, worldwide broadcast from Interpol. Homura watched intently as “Lind L. Tailor” introduced himself, “otherwise known… as L.”

“Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I won’t rest until the person responsible is brought to justice. Kira, I  _ will  _ hunt you down. I  _ will  _ find you…”

“Look at that, Homura. He seems certain he’ll catch you.”

“Hmph. That fool.” Homura scoffed, standing proudly and raising her Death Note high into the air. “He’ll have to get  _ this  _ first! And as long as the police don’t find it, there won’t be any evidence to convict me, which means catching me will be absolutely impossible.” Homura calmed herself and sat back down, a confident smirk resting on her face. “I anticipated that the police would get involved and that something like this might happen.”

“Kira,” Tailor continued, “I’ve got a pretty good idea about what your motive might be, and I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you’re doing right now is evil.”

Homura bolted back out of her seat in shock. “You think… I’m evil? I am justice! I protect the innocent and those who  _ fear  _ evil! I’m the one who will create the world that  _ she  _ desired! All those who oppose her, they are the ones who are truly evil!” She threw the Death Note open and readied her pen. “I thought you were better than this, L. You shouldn’t have come out of hiding and exposed yourself so quickly. Oh well, that’s too bad. This could’ve been a lot more interesting if you had just been a bit smarter.” She filled half the page with Tailor’s name, laughing maniacally. “I’ll show the world what happens when you cross me. The entire world is watching, L…”

35 seconds passed, Homura was getting excited. 4, 3, 2, 1… Lind L. Tailor collapsed, dead. Two suited men with black sunglasses carried his body out of view. Homura began to laugh again. “What’s wrong? You’ve got nothing else to say?” Suddenly, a symbol of an L flashed onto the screen.

“Ah,” came a heavily modified voice. “I had to test this, just in case, but I- I never thought it would actually happen. Kira… it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t just witnessed it. Listen to me, Kira. If you did, indeed, kill Lind L. Tailor, the man that you just saw die on live television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me.”

“What?!”

“The police arrested him in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn’t have heard of him on TV or through the internet. It appears not even you have access to information on these types of criminals.”

Ryuk laughed. “He got you there.”

“But I assure you, L  _ is  _ real. I  _ do _ exist. Now… try to kill me!”

As L continued to tease her, Homura remained silent, frozen, reduced to a deer in his headlights. “What’s wrong? Go ahead! Come on, right now! Kill me! Can’t you do it?”

There was then silence between the both of them for several moments.

“Well, Kira, it seems you can’t kill me after all. So there  _ are  _ some people you can’t kill. You’ve given me a useful hint. Let me return that favor. I’ll tell you something that I think you’ll find interesting. Although this was announced as a worldwide broadcast, the truth is, we are only broadcasting in Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it looks like that won’t be necessary. I know where you are.

“The police treated your first killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, your first victim was a suspect in Shinjuku. Of all the criminals who have recently died of heart attacks, this one’s crime was, in comparison, the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much: You are in Japan, and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means you haven’t been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast specifically in Kanto because of its large population, and luckily, we found you. To be completely honest with you, I never expected that things would go this well, but… it won’t be too long before I am able to sentence you to death.”

Homura’s eyes widened.

“Naturally, I’m very interested in how you’re able to commit these murders without being present… but I don’t mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you… Let’s meet again soon, Kira.”

The broadcast ended. Homura switched the TV off, hanging her head, but then started laughing. “Really?...  _ He’s _ going to sentence  _ me  _ to death?... Sounds interesting. I accept your challenge, L!”

“Each of them has to hunt down the other without knowing the other’s name or face,” Ryuk thought to himself. “And the first one whose identity is revealed will die. I should have never doubted that cat. Magical Girls are so much fun.”


	4. Iroha

**Uwasa, Uwasa**

**Naisho no Uwasa**

**Dare ni dake nara**

**Oshiete miyo ka**

**Dare no te tsunaide toro ka**

**Uwasa, Uwasa**

**Hitotsu himitsu no--**

When Iroha caught the little Kyubey, its memories surged into her mind. A boy with a black notebook. The same as the rumor Kuroe told her.

She was frozen in shock. She couldn’t fight. Luckily, a Magical Girl was nearby, planning to hunt that same Satori Wraith, along with one that seemed able to control the sandbox environment it created. When they were defeated, the little Kyubey disappeared, but Iroha was more worried about whatever it showed her.

“Where are you from?” asked the other Magical Girl.

"I-I'm from Takarazaki. Thank you for your help--"

“This is Kamihama West territory. Hunting Wraiths outside of your own territory without permission will only lead to hostilities. Didn’t Kyubey warn you about that?”

“R-right! Sorry, I, um…” Iroha stammered. “I came because I… I heard a rumor about Magical Girls coming to Kamihama to defeat Kira.”

“Oh, so you’ve heard about him. I don’t know the validity of his statement, but go ahead and spread the word to the others: There is no “Magical Boy” in Kamihama City. Go ahead and take the Grief Seed for your trouble, but please, for your own safety, never return…”

Iroha left, just as she was told. Once she had gone away, the girl’s cellphone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she rolled her eyes and answered it. “What is it, Lawliet?”

“Ah, Yachiyo,” came the voice from the other end. “And as enthused as ever to hear from me. So, any updates from the Kamihama Magia Union on Kira?”

“Not really. Information on the victims was made public immediately prior to their deaths. We also looked into the time of death for each victim: all fall within the hours of 4 pm and 2 am on weekdays, with 60% occurring between 8 pm and midnight. However, this pattern varies greatly on weekends, and we suspect holidays will be the same. It’s all pretty specific, so it sounds useful, but when you break it down, it’s not much help.”

“Oh, but it is. It suggests that, based on the times of death, our suspect could very well be a student.

“Based on the fact that Kira is only killing criminals, I think it’s safe to assume that he is driven by a very idealistic notion of justice. It’s very possible that he might aspire to be some sort of godlike figure.”

“Well, we’d never allow that to happen, right?”

“Beside the point. We’re dealing with an individual who has a very childish concept of right and wrong. Of course, this is mere speculation at this point, but still, we must consider every possibility. I believe that’s the shortest route to finding Kira. Anything else?”

“No. That will be all…”

* * *

"It looks like L's already beginning to suspect a student.”

“I guess that means you’re in trouble.”

Homura shook her head. “‘If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person’s name, it will happen. If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack. After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next six minutes and 40 seconds.’ That’s the rules, right?”

“Yeah, what’s the point?”

“So even if I write the cause of death as a heart attack, then I should be able to manipulate all the details including the time of death afterwards, shouldn’t I?” she smirked. “Looks like I’ll be able to provide you with more entertainment, now…”

* * *

“If you come to Kamihama, you can be saved. Come on, we’ll take the night train that no one else knows about.”

“I’m going to go there and be saved, before I’m found by the others who need saving…”

"I'm gonna go there and be saved! Before I have to sacrifice my life for everyone else's..."

“Let’s go to Kamihama! For our own sake, and not the sake of others… Let’s go to Kamihama! If we make it there, we will surely be saved!”

In the middle of the tracks, among all these Magical Girls, was a boy whose face was distorted. He held a black notebook out to Iroha, and said, “I will grant you one wish, anything you desire. I can grant even the most impossible of miracles. However, in exchange for that wish, your Soul Gem is created. And those who receive this stone accept a destiny battling Witches."

"Witches?..."

Iroha reached out to take the notebook from him, and when her fingertips fell upon the cover, all the memories that little Kyubey had shown her came rushing back. She woke up in a cold sweat, while Ui still slept heavily on the other side of the room. Amidst all her confusion, a single word- a name- escaped her lips.

“Light?...”


	5. Moonlight

Ui, Touka, and Nemu all had the same illness. However, there was someone else in that hospital room with them who was more… _mentally_ ill…

He always sat facing the window, petting a stuffed cat like he was some sort of supervillain. Sometimes, he would make noises as if it were meowing. He was very compliant with the doctors when they came to check on him, but hardly ever interacted with anyone outside of that. He listened to Touka lecturing Ui, her toy train taking off, Nemu’s stack of books falling on it, the alarms and sprinklers going off. And he heard the girls bickering afterwards.

“Touka Satomi, what you’ve done today will no doubt go down in history as one of the most atrocious crimes against humanity’s pursuit of knowledge.”

“If all that information is so important, then maybe it shouldn’t have been recorded on such flammable material.”

Ui was, naturally, the first to try and break it up. “Will you two knock it off?”

And "break it up," this boy did. “Perhaps you two shouldn’t be friends anymore…”

* * *

Homura hunched over her desk, rubbing her temples in frustration. “My plan worked a little better than I thought.”

“Then why do you look so upset?”

“Instead of investigating each other behind the scenes, L has cut ties with the police and is now working on the Kira case with a group of Magical Girls in Kamihama. And on top of that man following me, too.”

“Speaking of, how long do you humans have to wait before you say anything about stuff like that?” Ryuk asked. “Because from what I’ve seen, the most believable ones aren’t reported until decades after they’ve supposedly happened.”

“Exactly.” Homura replied. “I can’t turn him in without explicit evidence, that goes against my principles. Besides, what if he _never_ makes an advance. For all we know, L just sent him to spy on me.” L… Her 46 experiments, every hour, on the hour, for two school days. Kamihama… If you want to change your fate, come to Kamihama… That’s it! “If a Magical Girl can’t take the Shinigami Eyes, maybe a visit to Kamihama will help me get that man’s name. Time for the real thing.”

“Real thing?”

“Yesterday on the news, they said this drug addict tried to rob a bank, but was unsuccessful. He attacked a few people and then ran away empty-handed. I’ll use _him_ .” Homura pulled out her phone and started punching in numbers. “It’s kind of last-minute, but I’m sure I can find someone. I’ve got a _few_ people in mind.”

“‘A few people?’ For what?”

“You’ll see.” Homura brought the phone to her ear, her free hand executing her signature hair flip with a newly added pen flick. “Believe it or not, I’m actually rather popular, Ryuk…”

* * *

“Wow, that sounds like a pretty crazy dream, Sis!” Ui giggled, taking another sip of her juice.

“So, do you two know this Light Yagami?...” Jubey, the Incubator in charge of Takarazaki City, pondered. Neither of them responded. “I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious about it.”

“I’m not sure.” Iroha replied. “There was all this stuff about “I am Kira, I will become the god of a new world!”, but I don’t get it. I mean, if he _is_ Kira, why would he want all these Magical Girls to come to Kamihama to defeat him?”

Ui jumped up, twirling as she spoke. “Maybe you were _both_ Kira in a past life, and fate has reached across time and space to bring you back together again~!”

“It _is_ possible, perhaps, that he is being used by the real Kira,” Jubey spoke again. “Made into a pawn of sorts to take the fall for him. But tampering with someone’s fate to the extent you described would take great power- power equivalent to that of a Magical Girl’s wish. Which begs the question, why would someone want to change the destiny of Light Yagami?... It’s far more likely you had false memories implanted in your mind. I’m certain Light Yagami isn’t Kira.”

“Still, I’m going to Kamihama. If I want to figure all this out, I’ll have to find him. And there’s that baby Kyubey in Kamihama, too. Maybe I’ll see it again.”

“A _baby_ Kyubey?” Ui questioned. “I remember when Touka, Nemu, and I made our contracts, its rings fell off. Now that I think about it, that was right before Kira showed up.”

Iroha’s cell phone rang. She fumbled with it a bit before managing to answer it. “Hello?... Hey, Homura… Oh, not _this_ again!...”

* * *

Homura’s gaze shifted as she approached the bus stop. He’s still following me, she thought. Good. This would all be a waste if he wasn’t.

Ryuk looked over at the pink-haired girl waiting for them. “A date?”

“If we swung the same way, yeah.” Homura responded, only half-joking. “But on the outside, it’s still a date, no matter how you look at it. I’m sure even my stalker will see it that way.”

“But it’s not. You said it yourself, she doesn’t swing that way. So, what are we doing here?”

“Didn’t you see what I wrote in the Death Note? I explained it in great detail.”

“But that would ruin all the fun.”

“In that case, just wait and watch.” “Sorry I’m late, Iroha. Did I keep you waiting?”

“No, not at all. I didn’t think you knew about the rumor in Kamihama.”

“Well, this whole thing makes Kira sound like a rumor, himself, don't you think?"

* * *

There was still one stop left between their meeting place and Satomi Medical Center. Only one person boarded from that stop. Homura recognized that man. She quickly surveyed the scene. “Seven passengers, excluding him. No one’s in the way. This should go smoothly.”

The man put a gun to the driver’s head, making threats to shoot anyone who moved. Iroha could see the “Witch’s Kiss” marking his neck, but she was too scared to move. Homura passed a note to her, purposefully holding it so that the person behind them could see. “Don’t be scared. As soon as he turns around, I’ll grab the gun out of his hand. Then you make a run for the exit and find the Wraith.”

“Don’t be stupid.” said the man behind them. “That’s too risky.” He leaned closer so they could hear each other at a whisper. The hijacker wouldn’t be able to hear them over the engine. “If it comes to that, I’ll take care of it.”

“Do you have any proof you’re not his accomplice?” Homura asked. “I’ve heard about this before. The first hijacker comes in like he’s working alone. Meanwhile, the _second_ one pretends to be a hostage and stays in the very back, only there in case something goes wrong. So, how do we know we can trust you?”

The man handed his wallet to Homura, open, displaying his badge and identification. “Here. Take a look.”

FBI? L must have hired him before he started working with the Magia Union. His name is… Raye Penber. “Alright. I’m sorry for doubting you. Do you have a gun?”

Raye nodded.

“So if it comes down to it, we can rely on you, right?”

“Of course.”

We’re safe, Homura thought. He won’t shoot us. In fact, he’s not gonna do anything. She made a note fall out of her pocket and went to pick it up, but the convict spotted her. “Gimme that! You guys were plannin’ somethin’ back here, weren’cha?” He opened the note and skimmed through its contents. Kamihama, Space Land amusement park, 11:47. “Tch. Plans for a date, huh?” He crumpled up the note and tossed it back to her.

As the convict turned away, Homura tightened her grip on the paper. “Gotcha.”

The convict turned back around to her, then let out a shriek, flailing his gun at the rear emergency exit. “Wh-who the hell are _you_?! You, i-in the very back! What do you think you’re doing?!” he shouted frantically. “Don’t mess with me!” Homura looked back at Ryuk, giving him a smirk. “H-how long have you been hiding back there?!”

Ryuk tilted his head. “What’s this? You’re talking to _me_ ? So you mean you can actually _see_ me right now?”

“You stay RIGHT there! Don’t come any closer, you freak!”

“Oh, I get it. That little note that Homura “accidentally” dropped was torn from the pages of the Death Note itself. And since she tricked this guy into _touching_ the paper, he’s the only other one on the bus who can see me. That’s so smart!”

The convict fired at Ryuk, letting out a frightened cry with each shot. One bullet missed completely and shattered a window, and the second phased through him. Despite this, he kept shooting until he ran out of bullets. “Stop the bus!” he shouted. “Let me off!”

The bus screeched to a halt and the convict ran out, falling to his knees in the middle of the road. A car headed towards the scene also attempted to stop, but hit him head-on. Homura pulled down her sleeve and checked her watch. 11:45 on the dot. Everything went just as planned.

Kiichiro Osoreda. Accidental death. Boards the 11:31 bus bound for Kamihama, holding a loaded gun, and attempts to hijack the bus. He sees a horrific phantom and empties his gun trying to kill it. Terrified, he flees the bus. Immediately afterwards, at 11:45, he dies when struck by a car. “The Death Note never fails. You _will_ be next, Raye Penber…”

* * *

**One week later...**

Iroha awoke in a dimly-lit, but surprisingly well-furnished, run-down warehouse. She could hear two girls arguing over what to do with her. “We found her and the Witch near the bus-jacking from last week.” one said. “I had Rena deal with it.”

"Alright then." She could recognize the voice of the girl who responded. It was the girl who saved her from that sandbox Wraith. The girl who warned her never to return to Kamihama City…

Iroha sat up, catching the other girls’ attention. “Oh, you’re finally awake.” said the first, a blonde. “You’re here because of the rumor about Kira, right?”

Iroha nodded, weakly, still a bit light-headed.

“I thought I told you not to come back.” the girl from before scolded.

“Don’t be rude, Sora!” The girl turned back to Iroha. “I guess we can introduce ourselves, now that you’re awake. I’m Kaoru Tochigi. And _this_ ,” Kaoru gestured to the rainette, “is Sora Ishida. We’re part of the Magia Union. Which, I guess doesn’t mean anything to you, since you’re not from Kamihama.”

“No, I’ve heard about you.” Iroha replied. “There was a lot of talk in the cities nearby about a team of Magical Girls going after Kira. Speaking of, what’s a... Witch? I mean, Homura mentioned them before-"

Sora’s eyes widened. “You _know_ Homura Akemi?”

“Y-yes, why?”

“ _She_ is our prime suspect in the case. Was she with you on that bus? Did she do anything out of the ordinary during the hijacking?”

Kaoru sighed. “Sora, don’t grill her like that. Tell ya what, if you _do_ happen to know anything. We’ll take you back to HQ with us and you can tell L face-to-face.”

“So, am I being interrogated?”

“Not yet.”

“Sora!”

* * *

Iroha looked the man over again: scrawny, no shoes, has probably _never_ brushed his hair, pitch black circles under his eyes- looked almost like a raccoon. He was so pale he _actually_ looked like a ghost. If he had any older siblings, they probably told their mom he was clear when they first saw him. “I am L.”

“I-I’m… Iroha Tamaki. It’s an honor to meet-” He held a finger gun towards her. “-you?...”

“Bang.”

Kaoru sighed. “I told you we should have warned her…”

“If I were Kira, you would be dead, Ms. Tamaki. Kira needs a name and a face in order to kill, so as long as you’re here investigating rumors in Kamihama, please don’t give out your name so carelessly.”

“Wait, so--”

Momoko and Yachiyo nodded.

“Why, of course. If not, that would be rather hypocritical of me. In fact, Ya-chan? Go and get the special one…”


	6. Staircase

Iroha examined her new Kamihama Magia Union badge and ID. “Madoka Kaname?”

“No one with that name exists,” said Ryuzaki as he dropped a third handful of sugar cubes into his tea. “but the name itself certainly means _something_ to Homura Akemi. If she truly is Kira, that might bring it out.”

“And, could you tell me more about these ‘Witches?’...”

“When a Magical Girl’s emotions are taken by a Wraith, it’ll take a monstrous form almost identical to her. But, I don’t think “Witch” is a good term for them. Keep in mind, they started appearing just after the death of Kira’s first victim, and almost immediately began to gather in Kamihama. These aren’t acts of a god, just someone very childish and immature who wants to pretend they’re such. With that in mind, I think a much better term for these creatures might be ‘ _Kamiya_ Wraiths.’”

Rena Minami was the next to speak. “Hey, weren’t we going to look into that rumor and try to get Kaede back?”

* * *

Kyubey thought back to what Homura had said about the victim she used to prove herself to Raye Penber. “That girl accused a man of sexual assault. Now, you’d _think_ Kira would go after the culprit, but rest assured, that’s exactly what I did. You see, he was an actor- not too well-known, but rather famous in his field. I knew she was lying because the evidence against her was made _very_ public. She _wanted_ to do that scene with him at that convention. She was just a little nervous, is all.”

“She won’t gain anything from this.” he chuckled. “Raye Penber and only one other agent, investigating _you_ , were brought to Japan. However, that other agent is listed nowhere in the file Penber was sent. In fact, they’re _all_ false identities. Good thinking, Light Yagami. Still, it does surprise me that she’s waited this long to make a move.”

“Well, it would only draw more attention to her if Penber died right after meeting her on that bus.”

“I wonder. If _you_ were Kira instead, would you have thought of all this?”

“Get off my case, fallopian ears.” the boy sighed. “And stay quiet. Unlike you, people can still hear me when I talk out loud.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Yachiyo, it was all my fault.” Nothing. “Why don’t you try apologizing to me?”

“Momoko, I’m sorry…” Still nothing.

Ryuzaki pressed his thumb into his upper lip. “I guess it has to be a real fight, then.”

Rena began to break down. “I’m sorry, alright, Kaede?! I’m sorry I said we weren’t friends anymore! Please, come back!”

And yet, nothing still. “Maybe it didn’t work because it wasn’t sincere--”

“And what makes you think I’m NOT sincere!” Rena shouted at Iroha. “You’re right, I don’t really want to be friends with her again, I was never really her friend. She was always this little goody-two-shoes, always being protected and never standing up for herself, making _me_ out to be the bad guy. But… but I NEED her to come back! If worse comes to worst, _I’ll_ be convicted as Kira, and it’ll be all her fault! Kaede… I’m sorry for forcing you to be my friend…”

Iroha awoke in the corner of a girl’s bedroom, with Momoko sitting on the bed watching an idol concert on TV. “Do you hate me?” Momoko asked.

Rena kept changing her form as she spoke. “I’ve always been lousy and everyone hates me.”

“When I made my contract with Kyubey, I wished to become someone else.”

“And even though Kyubey supposedly granted me that wish-”

“-why haven’t I changed?...”

“ _I_ hate me! I hate me more than anything!”

* * *

Raye collapsed on the platform just after getting off the train. He strained to see back through the door. He could recognize her voice, but who was she? Who is Kira?... “Homura… Akemi!--”

“Farewell, Raye Penber…”

* * *

Rena and Iroha emerged in the Wraith’s labyrinth. “You always transform into Momoko when you’re feeling down.” Kaede noted.

“F-forget about that! I-i-it’s your fault we’re all stuck here!” Rena scolded.

“I couldn’t find my way back down. Well, you apologized, so we're friends again, right?"

"Did you seriously not hear _anything_ I said?! There's no way-- That- that didn't count!"

"Alright. Then, you can apologize once we get out of here."

Iroha glanced around at the staircases. Next to her was written the kanji for “moon.” She knelt down and traced it with her finger, and the memories resurfaced, leaving behind a subconscious message: “the bell.”

She rushed to meet with Momoko and Yachiyo at the top of the staircase, all three landing massive attacks on the bell, dislodging it from the bridge. “Rena, Kaede!” Momoko called. “Finish it off!”

Rena and Kaede Connect, with the former summoning a set of mirrors that the bell ricocheted off of on its way down. “Infinite Poseidon!” Tridents shot from the mirrors, tangling the bell in Kaede’s vines, destroying it.

* * *

“That other FBI agent hasn’t died yet.” Light smirked. “Everything’s going just as planned.”

Kyubey nodded. “Yes, but just in case, maybe there’s a way we can use the media to draw her out.”

“Like what?”

“Well, we can’t have them stop showing criminals’ names and faces. “If you choose to withhold the names of your _worst_ criminals, then I’ll kill _petty_ criminals or the innocent. I’m holding the whole world hostage, so who’s it gonna be? I’m not the evil one, here. But all those who oppose me by hiding criminals, _you_ are _truly_ evil.” That’s exactly how she thinks. But how about something like this: death of FBI agent infuriates the U.S., latest killings anger the international police, nations agree to send 1500 investigators to Japan.”

“So, she’ll think there’s 1500 when there’s really only about a dozen in the Magia Union. And since, like the agents in that file, none of these people exist, she won’t be able to kill them. Y’know, it’s just crazy enough to work!”

“Before we celebrate, I want to tell you the rest of the information I’ve gathered. On September 24th, twelve- really only two- FBI investigators came to Japan.” Kyubey flattened the sand out with his tail and drew in it with his paw. “Here we are on September 29th. Using prison inmates, Kira conducts experiments, manipulating her victims’ actions before they die. In other words, in this window of only five days, Kira became aware of the FBI’s presence and obviously felt threatened. Because she didn’t know any of their names or faces, she was at a disadvantage. She needed to know how much control she had over her victims before she could use it against the agents. And, as we both know, on October 3rd…”

“I got ahold of a file containing all of the names and faces of the FBI agents sent to Japan, and I succeeded in killing each one of them. It’s practically impossible to guess which agent gave the file to Kira, but I have to make sure no one finds out that I came into contact with Raye Penber.”

“How come you’re not using the Death Note today? You studying for those entrance exams?”

“That’s the least of my concern right now.”

“So, if we know for a fact that Homura’s Kira, why can’t we turn her in?”

Kyubey ran up and placed a paw over Light’s mouth. “It’s all part of the plan. Not that anyone would believe us solely on our word or anything. But just one clue, a single decisive factor is all we need.”

Just one oversight. A single piece of evidence is all it would take. It could cost me my life.

“Just one thing…”

* * *

Homura tried to appear normal as she walked to the receptionist’s desk, keeping a covert eye on the woman next to her. “Hi, I’m Detective Matsuda’s sister, Homura Akemi. I’ve brought my brother a change of clothes, but it doesn’t look like he’s in. Is it alright if I leave them here?”

“Sure.”

Homura turned to the woman. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. You said you have information relating to the Kira investigation? I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. You see, L stopped working with the Task Force on the case quite a while ago. He’s now working with a group of detectives in Kamihama that call themselves The Magia Union. Someone I know there is actually in charge of the investigation. If you’d like, I could pass your message on to her. Her cellphone seems to be off at the moment, but I should be able to contact her soon. A lot of FBI agents were just killed, and a lot of the detectives have quit the case out of fear for their lives, so she’s probably pretty busy right now.”

“Miss Akemi, probably better if you don’t discuss this with--”

She cut the receptionist off. “True, but it’s practically common knowledge at this point. Besides, I feel like I can trust her. You can almost see it in her eyes. She’s a wise and careful person. You heard about what happened, and you must have figured out that the police had a leak of some kind, and that’s why you wanted to tell them in-person, is that right?...”

“I’m sure my friend will call me back once she checks her messages. When she does, I’ll give you the phone and let you talk to her.”

“You sure that’s alright?”

Homura put on a bright, friendly smile. “Of course! You understand why I can’t just give you her number, but I have no problem letting you use my phone to talk to her. Oh my! We’ve been talking and I just realized I don’t know your name. My name is Homura Akemi: Homura’s written with the character for “flame,” and Akemi with the characters for “daybreak” and “sea.” Kind of weird, huh?”

“My name is Shoko Maki. It’s written with the characters for “shining,” “ko” as in “child,” “space,” and “ki” as in “tree.””

“Miss Maki, right?"

Ryuk laughed, but Homura didn't pay him much mind.

"Miss Maki, I’ve been thinking about Kira’s powers. I believe he is somehow able to control his victims before they die.”

“So do I. It’s odd that you say that, because that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. Kira is able to determine the actions of his victims before he kills them, but there’s more to it than that. If my analysis so far is correct, Kira can kill in a number of ways, not just with a heart attack.”

She knows? Who is this woman? “Y’know, the possibility never crossed my mind. So what you’re saying is, anytime Kira wants one of his murders to go undetected, he wouldn’t use a heart attack.”

“Right. In fact, I’m almost positive that someone I know may have met Kira.”

“Met Kira?” Homura clutched the pen and page from the Death Note in her pocket. “Tell me more…”


	7. Oversight

“That was a pretty risky move on her part. Anyone on the outside thinks L is still working with the Task Force. The Magia Union was supposed to be a secret, and she just went and blabbed about it to this woman.”

“Risky?” Kyubey mewed. “You say the strangest things sometimes, Light Yagami. This whole thing has been a risk from the start, since the moment you first gave her the Death Note. It would be the same for you if you were in her place, wouldn’t it? 

“I remember distinctly from my dream. You left the key in the lock. The fake diary would probably satisfy most people’s curiosity, but the real key was the ink reservoir of a ballpoint pen, jus an ordinary item you would expect to find on a student's desk. If anyone were to figure out that there was a fake base, you had counter-measures to keep the book from being stolen. The pen and a piece of rubber on the fake bottom blocked the flow of electricity. If someone were to try and force the bottom of the drawer open, the circuit would connect, igniting the gasoline contained in a thin plastic casing, instantly setting the notebook on fire. All of the evidence would have been destroyed. But all that put _you_ at risk, too. Ryuk said that if you made even the slightest mistake, you would be badly burned.

“My point is, if anything, telling a non-Magical Girl about the Magia Union actually protects her. It all comes down to a choice: would she prefer to be executed, or deal with a little…” He paused. “PTSD, as you humans call it, we’ll say…”

* * *

“Well, he was one of the twelve FBI agents who came to Japan to investigate Kira.”

An FBI agent who met Kira? She couldn’t mean--

“You see, he was also my fiance. While he was working, he got caught up in a busjacking, and I have reason to suspect he met Kira on that bus.”

Raye Penber!...

“I’m… sorry to hear that he passed away…” Homura never understood why people said that. Why would someone be sorry about it if it wasn’t their fault? Not that she had any room to talk, but no one knew that. Oh well, that was its own can of worms. “So, what makes you think he met Kira on that bus?”

“Because he died of a heart attack eight days later… The same man had attempted to rob a bank two days before he hijacked that bus, then he dies in an accident, just like that? I mean, what are the odds? I’ve come to believe that Kira set up that busjacking, planning to come into contact with my fiance and get information regarding the identities of the other FBI agents so he could get rid of them all. Anyway, what stands out to me is that the hijacker died in an accident. In other words, it suggests heart attacks aren’t the only way Kira can kill.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Miss Maki, but I think that’s a bit of a leap of faith.”

“I’ve been wondering about that busjacking ever since my fiance first told me about it. He didn’t mention any names or anything like that, but he _did_ tell me he was put in a situation where he had to show his FBI ID to someone. The operation was undertaken secretly, without the NPA’s knowledge, so he wasn’t _allowed_ to show his ID. I think whoever saw it is responsible for the deaths of all of the agents.”

Regardless of how she came to the conclusion, the fact remains, this woman knows the truth, Homura thought. If she gives this information to the Magia Union, it won’t take them very long to figure out I’m Kira… I have no choice but to eliminate her! She smiled. “I understand. You want nothing more than to avenge your fiance by bringing Kira to justice, right? I have no doubt your testimony will be crucial to the case. And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. We shouldn’t waste any more time, we need to start investigating it right away.” She removed the weapon from her pocket. “Let’s get started. Could you please tell me the date and time of the incident?”

Shoko gave Homura all the details she already knew. Meanwhile, Homura wrote down something entirely different: Shoko Maki, suicide, October 5th. Committed in such a way that nobody will be inconvenienced, and her body will not be discovered. This plan is to be implemented within 48 hours.

Ryuk laughed again. “What’s so funny, Ryuk?” Homura sighed, mentally.

“So, that’s everything. I’d like to report this incident to my friend, if that’s alright with you.”

“Well, if it’s all the same, I think I’d like to report it myself. And after talking to you, I’ve decided it would be best to do it as soon as possible.” Shoko turned and walked away, toward the subway station, probably bound for Kamihama.

Homura picked up her pace to follow. “Y-yeah, that makes sense…” Ten seconds left. Go on, Miss Maki. Hurry to your death…

41, 42, 43… Why wasn’t she leaving? What happened? Homura had no trouble using suicide as a cause of death in the past. With each of the criminals she experimented on before, they all hung themselves exactly when she specified.

Ryuk’s laughter grew hysterical, and then it hit her. This woman used an alias! Of course he’d be laughing at her, _he_ can see her real name. But Magical Girls can control their remaining lifespan through their Soul Gems, so Homura really had no half of it to trade for Shinigami eyes. She’d have to get this woman’s real name some other way, before it was too late. 

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done, Homura. After talking to you, I feel much more confident about my theory.”

“Not at all. Um, just one problem. I really should have told you before, but it’ll be impossible for you to contact anyone from the Magia Union directly.” Keep the conversation going. Give her something to latch onto. Once she’s comfortable, get her real name. “You see, everything’s set up so that their members can’t be identified, and no one on the outside knows who’s in charge. If their identities were ever revealed, we’d likely see another tragedy along the lines of the one that claimed your fiance’s life.”

“If this is supposed to be a secret, then how do _you_ know so much?”

“Alright, you got me. I’m actually also a member of the Magia Union. Its members are made up of a chosen few hand-picked for the job by L. All are highly skilled, well-respected, and above all, trustworthy… In fact, I think you should join the Magia Union. I noticed early on that your investigative skills are far beyond those of an amateur. You’re very cautious, and you seem to have a gift for getting to the heart of the matter. If I could, I’d like to learn from you.”

* * *

“If I could, I’d like to learn from you.”

Light and Kyubey watched from against the wall of the Task Force building, hidden by the trees that lined the front yard. The boy chuckled. “One lie after another. She makes it look so easy.”

Kyubey sat in the arms of his new potential experiment, looking up at him with blank eyes that tried so hard to show any emotion that matched his words. “Just like you, right?...”

* * *

“This may sound suspicious of me, but do you, perhaps, also work for the FBI?”

Shoko nodded. “Well, up until three months ago, that is.”

This is it! Finally, something I can use!

“From the beginning, I knew I had to do things outside the regular channels, because from my perspective, the police and Task Force and even this Magia Union were suspects. But if L is working on this case, then I’m certain I can trust him. You see, I worked under him on a case in the U.S. a few years ago.”

“But if the only person you can trust with this information is L, then why me?”

“It’s like you said before, I can almost see it in your eyes.”

Homura smirked. “My offer still stands, then. I want you to come work with us at the Magia Union. It wouldn’t be hard for you to join. All you need is valid identification, a recommendation from a current member, and of course, L’s permission.”

“Oh! Um…”

“Is something wrong, Miss Maki?”

“You see, the name I gave you earlier- it wasn’t actually my real name. I’m sorry.”

“For what? To be honest, I’m quite impressed by how thorough you’ve been. You’ve been one step ahead of me this whole time, but I guess that’s just further proof of your capabilities.”

“So, will a Japanese driver’s license do the trick?”

“Yes, of course.” I made it in time…

The leaves began to fall as Homura’s fingertips clasped around the driver’s license. She crossed out the name “Shoko Maki” and wrote the woman’s true name above it. Excited, but doing a bit too well in not showing it, she watched the seconds tick away as a familiar boy walked by, a white cat resting on his shoulder. It appeared to obstruct his view of the scene. Oh, but he saw. Not that he would tell anyone, not if the cat could help it. He cast her a judging, warning glare.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you keep checking your watch so much?”

“Oh, this old thing? I guess it’s because…” 4, 3, 2... “I am Kira…” 1.

* * *

The woman’s eyes went dark as she turned and walked away. “What’s the matter?...” Homura called out to her.

“There’s something I have to do…”

Homura pulled her phone from her pocket and held it out to the woman, a wicked smile on her face. “My friend’s cellphone might be available now. Do you want to see if you can talk to her?”

“No thank you, I have nothing to say…”

“Then goodbye, Naomi Misora…”


	8. Shrine

The girls were reviewing surveillance footage from the subway station. “Let’s go through the following scenes again: Raye Penber passing the ticket gate on his way in, then boarding the train, and finally, the part where he dies on the platform.”

Iroha went over her notes. “So, from what I could gather, Raye Penber comes through the west entrance of Shinjuku Station at 3:11 pm. Then, at 3:13, he boards a train on the Yamanote line. But even if he was following someone, the system’s so old that it’ll be difficult to draw any real conclusions from such a blurry video.” A small bowl of ice cream was handed to her. “Oh! Thank you very much, Mitama! Anyway, at 4:42, he exits the train at Tokyo Station and dies on the platform.”

“That’s all very strange, don’t you think? We know that Raye Penber got on the train, and then an hour and a half later, he got off and died on the platform. But the Yamanote line only takes an hour to complete its circuit. More importantly, there’s the envelope.” Ryuzaki rewound the tape. “He’s holding what looks like a manila envelope as he passes through the ticket gate.”

Yachiyo jumped up. “You’re right! It’s right there, under his arm! But in the footage right before his death, it’s gone!”

“Awesome!” Felicia cheered. “I can’t believe you caught that!”

“So, if it’s gone, then he must have left it on the train.”

Ryuzaki nodded. “And if you watch closely, at the very end here, it seems like he’s straining to look inside the train before the doors close. Wouldn’t it be interesting if Kira was on that train?”

“But, why would Kira come to the scene of his own crime when he can kill from a distance?”

“Well, maybe he was counting on us to make that assumption, and figured he could get away with such a bold move. But enough of that. There’s a rumor in Mizuna ward that I’d like you to look into, Iroha.” He handed her a flyer for a Chinese restaurant. The kanji scribbled along the side read “Magical Girls eat free!”

“If we’re lucky, it’ll lead us right to Kira…”

* * *

“What’s going on with you, Homura? You haven’t stopped using the Death Note for four days straight, so what are you trying to prove? I don’t see the point in writing these people’s names weeks in advance, I’ve never seen the Death Note used like this.”

“Consider it a security measure. Suppose the son of the detective superintendent of the NPA was hospitalized. If criminals stop dying at the same time, it wouldn’t be too hard to connect the two.”

“Why are you so worried about _him_? Don’t tell me he’s straightened you out.”

“Save your breath. It’s just that, while he _would_ serve as a plausible decoy, I can’t just let a random innocent take the fall for me. Are you sure I can use any date as long as it’s before the end of a person’s predetermined lifespan?”

“That sounds about right, why?”

Homura smirked. “You’ll see. For now, let’s just say I’ll be able to provide you with more entertainment…”

* * *

Iroha was quite frightened by the girl having punched a side of beef and thrown her father against the wall. She tried to sneak away, letting the door close slowly behind her.

“A customer!” The girl ran towards Iroha and stopped the door with her foot, swinging it back open. “Welcome to Banbanzai! What can I get you?”

“Oh! Um…” Iroha showed her badge to the girl.“I saw your flyer. I’m here about a rumor spreading among Magical Girls.”

* * *

Tsuruno, Iroha, and Yachiyo met that night at Mizuna Shrine, which Yachiyo suspected to be the “marriage power spot” they were looking for. As Tsuruno skipped ahead happily, she explained the legend to Iroha. “A long time ago, a lady who lived in Mizuna Castle fell in love with a common man from the town. Their stark difference in social class meant their love was forbidden- it’s just how things worked back then. The woman was already betrothed, and her fiance grew very jealous of the man, to the point of murder. Every night since then, the woman pleaded with God to revive her lost lover. After 1500 nights of prayer, her wish was granted.”

“That sounds like a beautiful story.”

“But nobody talks about _how_ he came back. The price the woman paid for this miracle was the lives of all the townspeople. Remember this: those who have died cannot be resurrected without consequence. Days lost can never be regained. There is always a price to pay for a miracle…”

Tsuruno stood guard at the front of the shrine while Iroha and Yachiyo went in to pray. “I can’t believe Ryuzaki _actually_ thinks this’ll work.” Yachiyo sighed as she wrote “Kira” on one of the plaques. She looked over at the name Iroha wrote on her plaque. “Light Yagami?”

“I had a dream about him. He was a mental patient at Satomi Medical Center and shared a room with my sister and her friends, but neither of us can remember him. I just… thought if I put down his name, I’d have some clue if or not he really exists.”

Yachiyo chuckled. “Oh, right. I forgot he was part of that rumor…”

* * *

Ryuzaki had just gotten off the phone with an informant. It was about Raye Penber’s fiancé, Naomi Misora. “She was working under me on the Los Angeles BB murder case, that’s right… And according to our informant, she disappeared the day after her fiancé died.”

“I’m sure anyone in her situation would be pretty depressed.” Felicia commented.

Mifuyu gasped. “Do you think it could’ve been--...”

“No, the Naomi Misora I knew was strong. She was an excellent agent. If anything, it’s more likely that she’d be trying to _catch_ Kira. It appears she came to Japan with Penber, so it’s possible that she may have found a lead. If that’s the case, did Kira manage to get to her first?...”

He turned to address the Union. “Everyone, at this point, I’d like to focus our investigation on only those who Raye Penber was investigating. At this point, I’d like to place wiretaps and surveillance cameras in the three households.”

Kanagi stood. “Consider it done. Who are these three individuals?”

“Deputy Director Kitamura and Detective Superintendent Yagami and their families, along with Homura Akemi…”

* * *

“It seems like you’re pretty skilled with your hands.” Ryuk commented as Homura cut the extra pockets into her wallet. “I bet you’re pretty popular with the other girls, aren’t you?”

Homura blushed. She had no way of proving him right or wrong. If only Madoka were still here… For emotional support, of course. “S-skill has nothing to do with it!” She stammered, sliding the clipping from the Death Note into place. “It’s your looks that count. I’m guessing you’re _not_ that popular, are you?”

* * *

“Where exactly are we going, Homura?” No response. “C'mon, don’t ignore me!”

“Listen to me, there’s a very strong possibility that there’s wiretaps and maybe even surveillance cameras hidden throughout my room.”

“Really? But that piece of paper was still in your door, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but I left it there in a way that it would be obvious to anyone entering. The real test is the handle. When the door is closed, it automatically returns to a horizontal position, and it won’t go any higher than that. But whenever I close the door, I adjust it slightly. Instead of letting it sit horizontally, I lower it by about 5 millimeters. When I get home, if the handle is all the way up, I can be fairly certain that someone was in my room. But, that method alone doesn’t tell me if my door was actually opened, so I put a mechanical pencil lead in place, as well. After the door is shut, I rest it on the hinge in such a way that it will break if the door opens. Normally, I’d take it out myself when I get home, but today, I noticed that it was broken. First the handle, then the lead, I _know_ someone was in there today.”

“Maybe it was just the landlady.”

“She wouldn’t have noticed the piece of paper. What’s suspicious is that whoever it was took the time to put it back in the door… By the way, Ryuk, what about your apples?”

“Apples?” The Shinigami gasped. “That’s right, surveillance cameras! Once the apple’s in my mouth, no one can see it. But while I’m holding it, it looks like it’s floating!”

“You told me that Shinigami can’t die, so I guess it won’t kill you to stop eating apples for a while.”

“WHAT?!”

“I’m sorry, but as long as I’m being watched, you can’t eat in my room. I already gave L the hint that Shinigami love apples, so I just can’t take the risk.”

“Please! I never told you this, but apples to Shinigami… Well, they’re like tobacco or alcohol to you humans. I even get withdrawals!...”

“Well, unless that involves a seizure or something serious for humans, I don’t really care.”

“No, listen! My body gets all twisted, I do handstands, it’s not pretty!”

“I rest my case. If it’s that important, then you’ll have to find out where _all_ the cameras are hidden. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find a blind spot where you can eat without being seen. Alright? Let’s go…”

“Yeah! A camera search! Sounds interesting…”

* * *

“Light! Wait! It’s me!” Iroha chased after the boy, who stopped at the middle of the bridge for her to catch up and grab his hand. “I’m Ui’s big sister, Iroha Tamaki. You shared a room with her at the hospital, right? I can’t believe I finally found you!”

The boy’s expression remained blank. “If you wish to change your fate, come to Kamihama City. Magical Girls can be saved here. Magical Girls are justice.”

“Wait, Magical Girls? And fate? This doesn’t make sense, how do _you_ know about that?”

“If you wish to change your fate, come to Kamihama. Magical Girls can be saved here. Magical Girls are justice.”

“And what do you mean “justice”? What are you saying?”

He began to repeat bits of the rumor like a broken record. “Come to Kamihama. Magical Girls. Fate. You can change. Justice. Magical Girls. Your fate. Change.”

Iroha heard another voice just a bit quieter than his, but she had no idea what it was saying. “LzdqwwrhudvhdoozlwfkhvehiruhwkhbduhhyhqeruqLzloohudvhhyhubvlqjohzlwfklqhyhubxqlyhuvhsdvwdqgixwxuhzlwkpbrzqkdqgvLgrqwfduhzkdwbrxfdoolwDoowkrvhpdjlfdojluovzkrkhogrqwrwkhlukrshvdqgirxjkwdjdlqvwzlwfkhvLgrqwzdqwwrvhhwkhpfubLzdqwwkhpwrvwdbvplolqjxqwlowkhhqgLidqbuxohruodzvwdqgvlqpbzdbLzlooghvwurblwLzloouhzulwhlwWkdwlvpbsudbhuWkdwlvpbzlvkQrzjudqwlwLqfxedwru”

“Wait… You’re not Light…” She looked around at the other people trapped here by their loved ones, and when she turned back, he was gone. “I see…”

“Mel?... All this time, _you_ were Kira?! That’s impossible, you- she- that girl!”

“You’re right. I was taken away by the Law of Cycles a year ago. But if you stay here with me, I promise I’ll explain everything, Yachiyo-senpai…” The girl held a paper windmill in front of Yachiyo, attempting to hypnotize her with it.

Iroha shot it out of her hand. “Get away from Yachiyo right now!” But in a rush of adrenaline, she didn’t give the girl a chance. With a strike through the chest, the girl faded into nothing.

* * *

“Look at this, girls.” Mami motioned for Homura and Kyoko to come closer. “It’s from the ICPO. They’re saying that, in response to the Kira murders, Interpol has decided to dispatch a force of 1500 investigators to Japan.”

They’re just trying to get a reaction out of me, Homura thought. L, this is the same trick you used last time. “The ICPO sure is stupid. I mean, there’s no point in making this announcement. If they’re going to send all those people here, shouldn’t they keep it a secret? Even the FBI agents who were here investigating in _secret_ were killed by Kira, why would _this_ be any different? If you ask me, this is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shock Kira in hopes that he’ll reveal himself somehow. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kira sees right through this… Well, thanks for dinner, Mami.”

“You’re taking a bag of chips for the road?” Kyoko protested. “But we just ate! Your good looks are gonna go down the drain if ya keep _that_ up.” Mami giggled at the redhead’s irony.

“It’s a late-night snack for _studying._ ” Homura retorted. “Anyway, good job tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Make sure to get some rest.”

“Yeah! Wouldn’t want ya flunkin’ that big test ‘cuz ya fell asleep, Lil’ Miss To-oh!”

* * *

She came home to find Ryuk passed out on the chair in the corner. “I guess Shinigami get tired when they work hard,” he sighed. “but I found all the cameras, so listen up. There’s nothing I hate more than having to explain something twice.”

Homura stretched in her seat. “Alright, time for me to hit the books.”

“I counted 64 in total. I guess whoever put them here expected you to at least find some of them.”

It _has_ to be L…

“What I wanna know is how I’m gonna be able to eat apples?”

She sighed, passing a note to Ryuk. “That’s impossible, now isn’t it?”

“Oh, right, I guess you can’t talk in here. But we better discuss this outside tomorrow!”

“Okay, I think I’m getting the hang of this, now!” Judging by the number of cameras he’s placed, he’s probably planning to make a decision soon. Any normal person would slip under these circumstances, but it won’t be that easy with me, L. This is the closest you get!

I’ve set things up so that criminals will continue to die over the next three weeks. L is aware by now that Kira can control the times of death of his victims. Therefore, to avoid suspicion, L needs to see that criminals whose names are being broadcast continue to die while I have no access to that information.

Just watch me, L. I’ll appear to be studying for my entrance exams, but you won’t see all the names I’ve written. Sure, with this wire tied around my ankle, the TV would skip, but I doubt those cameras are good enough for you to see the screen of my _laptop._ I don’t need to sit around eating potato chips… when I have the power to stop time!

* * *

“Ryuzaki…”

“Yes, what is it, Mitama?”

“A bank clerk being questioned on suspicion of embezzlement and a purse-snatcher being held in a detention center were broadcast on the news a few minutes ago. Both just died of sudden, inexplicable heart attacks.”

Ryuzaki nodded. “And while all that was happening, from just past 7:30 until now, 11:00, Homura has done nothing but study. Kira needs a name and a face, without those, he can’t kill. So, I suppose anyone who wasn’t watching the news can’t be Kira, right? But it doesn’t make sense that Kira would kill two petty criminals right after their identities were broadcast. I know it’s only been a day, but Miss Akemi seems almost _too_ innocent to me.”

“Please, don’t worry yourself with that,” came the reply of a white cat on the windowsill. “Your other suspect’s already on it…”

* * *

The Kamiya Wraith had shown itself. “Strada… Futuro!” Iroha’s attack did nothing. Exhausted, she fell to her knees.

Yachiyo ran to her side. Upon closer inspection, she realized exactly why Iroha had collapsed. She stared horrified at the swirling black clip of her cloak. “Iroha, your Soul Gem!”

“I’m sorry, I thought I could hold on for a little longer. I guess not seeing Light… hit me a lot harder than I thought…” She was freezing from the inside out. Is this what it feels like to die, she thought. She could feel herself being sucked deeper and deeper into the depths of her very being.

The hood of her cloak fell, and darkness erupted from her Soul Gem, binding her to the calling bird that it caused to form from her hair. How come the Law of Cycles hadn’t saved her? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to die, not here. This was the power to change fate. Magical Girls… are justice!

**I’ll bring the rain**

**I’ll bring the wind**

**I am the mighty hurricane**

**The human stains and all their sins**

**Blown away**

**I’ll bring the pain, so be afraid**

**I will bring the power of the hurricane!**


	9. Encounter

“Tiro… Finale!” The blonde girl shot Iroha out of the sky, defeating the monster that emerged from her Soul Gem.

Yachiyo set Iroha’s unconscious body down and turned to the girl. “Who are you?”

The girl didn’t answer, raising her gun and pointing it at Iroha. “I was led here by a trail of strange magic, but I honestly didn’t expect to find a Wraith disguised as a human.”

“Lower your weapon at once.” Yachiyo demanded.

“I need you to move.”

“Tell me who you are.”

“I’m Mami Tomoe. I came here from Mitakihara.”

“So, you’re here about the rumor?”

“There are far more pressing matters, like disposing of that Wraith.”

“But she isn’t a Wraith. Look at her. She’s a Magical Girl, just like us.” Mami went quiet. “If you understand, then lower your gun.”

Mami did as she was told. “Her magic _is_ different from the sinister magic I followed here. What exactly happened?”

“We’re not sure. Her Soul Gem went black, and then that monster appeared. There’s no way it was a Wraith.”

“That must be what Homura tried to tell us about. But I don’t remember her mentioning them changing back. And why would the Law of Cycles not have saved her?...”

* * *

This is the second universe I’ve found where Iroha Tamaki became a Magical Girl.

And yet again, I cannot erase that universe’s Witches.

I don’t believe her to be the cause of such things, but it _is_ strange that it’s happened twice now.

It’s probably just that silly pebble again.

Still, even stranger is that even though I can’t save these girls, Witches don’t exist.

Only Homura remembers them- remembers _me_ …

I wonder what else home has in common with that other universe, now.

Ui, Touka, and Nemu are all still alive here, too.

All four of these girls made the same wishes as in that other universe.

I remember now. I was just about to save Ui. But even _I_ wasn’t strong enough to erase all the despair she collected with her wish.

I noticed the stuffed cat that boy always had with him. I brought it to life.

I could use it as a filter for Ui’s Soul Gem.

It became the baby Kyubey that now roams Kamihama.

But I don’t remember giving it _this_ kind of power.

This must be connected to the rumor they’ve spread about Kira.

Is this how they’ll defeat her, or--

Homura… What have you done?...

* * *

“Are you sure about this, Ryuk?”

“I’m sure nobody’s following you, okay?! Now hurry up already, it’s getting worse!”

Homura sighed “You better not be saying what you _think_ I’d want to hear just to get some apples--”

“Whoa, hold on! I just flew out and checked a 100-meter radius around you and there was no one there! So, yeah, for the last time, I’m sure, okay?!”

“Alright, but they said on the news last night that 1500 investigators were being dispatched to Japan.”

“They’re bluffing! You said so yourself, if it were really happening, they’d keep it a secret!”

Homura giggled. “I know, I was just messing with you. I’ll buy you some apples and we’re even, okay?”

“Y’know, you really haven’t been very nice to me.” Ryuk grunted as he began to unravel. “You had me looking all over for cameras, telling me I can’t even eat in the house anymore, it’s not right!”

Homura sighed. “Make sure you eat the core, too.”

“I ought to write _your_ name in _my_ Death Note, just to see if it actually works on Magical Girls.” He heard a chuckle from the girl as she walked away. “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you.”

“And _I_ wouldn’t waste my time if I were _you_. That reminds me, I have one finishing touch left to add…”

* * *

I have a good grasp of where all the cameras are, but so far, I’ve only managed to kill a purse-snatcher and an embezzler using that trick with my time magic. The both of them were guilty of much lesser crimes than my previous victims. I made sure to kill criminals whose names were broadcast when I didn’t appear to have access to TV or the internet. But there’s a chance I’ll only look more suspicious if only these lesser criminals continue to die while I’m not receiving information. In other words, if I kill _other_ petty criminals whose names and faces are broadcast as I watch TV, I won’t draw any unnecessary attention to myself. For this to work, all I have to do is remember the identities of criminals I see either on the news or online, regardless of the severity of their crimes. Then, while I’m out on patrol, I can use that slip of the Death Note I keep in my wallet to kill them at random times, just like that. I should have no trouble dealing with these hidden cameras, now.

* * *

“In the past few days, I’ve listened to all of our audio recordings and reviewed the footage we captured, and I’ve come to a conclusion. Our surveillance of the Kitamura and Yagami households has revealed…” Ryuzaki sighed. “Nothing. We will remove the cameras and wiretaps.”

Felicia groaned. “All that and still no leads…”

“Please, don’t get the wrong idea. I only said that we were unable to _reveal_ anything. Even if Kira was among them, I’m sure he wouldn’t make it obvious, in fact, he was probably able to _continue_ killing without doing anything outwardly suspicious. Which is why I excluded Miss Homura Akemi.”

Iroha jumped at the mention of her friend’s name. “What do you have against her!"

Yachiyo grabbed her arm. “Iroha, calm down.”

“If I’m honest, there was really only a 1% chance that Kira was among the Kitamura or Yagami households, whereas Homura's probability was 10%- No, it’s maybe only 5%. Go on and remove the cameras and wiretaps from her motel room as well, but I want to keep a close eye on her.” He spotted the white cat at the window. “And I know just what to do. Iroha, there’s someone I’d like you to meet…”

* * *

“Hey, Homura! I just checked, and all the cameras are gone!” Homura didn’t say anything. “Hey, are you listening to me? Hey! Homura!” She pointed to her ear. “Oh, right, there could still be wiretaps around here somewhere.”

So it seems I’m no longer a suspect. Everything’s going just as planned. But I’m sure L won’t give up that easily. If he’s still working with the Magia Union, chances are that Iroha’s at least run into them on one of her trips to Kamihama. Maybe she’s even joined them. If that’s the case, I’ll have to use _her_ to find out L’s true identity, and I’ll eliminate him.

Once I get rid of L, Kira will be one step closer to defeating the Witch that belongs to nobody…

* * *

“Light?! I-it’s really you!”

The boy chuckled. “What did you think happened to me, Iroha?”

“Well, neither of us could remember you, but I _knew_ you were real! It’s just that… you didn’t show up when we did the Séance Shrine rumor, and…”

Kyubey hopped up onto the table. “Yes, that’s a rather complicated story. You remember when your sister and her friends made their Contracts with me, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

“And what did Nemu Hiiragi wish for?”

“For your power of manifestation. They each had a wish relating to one of your powers.”

“And what is she able to manifest with my power?”

Iroha gasped. “Uwasa… Like the Friendship Ending Staircase, and the Séance Shrine! And Magical Girls gathering in Kamihama to defeat Kira…”

Light couldn’t help himself anymore, he broke down laughing. “I can’t believe you fell for all that!”

Kyubey sighed. Light had reacted the same way when they first met, and the Incubator asked him about Homura getting the Death Note. He had completely forgotten that it was Ryuk’s idea to use Light as an avatar.

“But it looked so real!”

“I know!”

“We actually thought you were Kira!”

“I really SOLD that, didn’t I?” Light stopped to try and catch his breath. “The magazines… Ha… The magazines were Kyubey’s idea…”

As Light finally fell to the floor, cackling like a banshee, the girls all turned to Kyubey, who blushed redder than a Swedish Fish candy.

* * *

Light leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. He was pretty confident in his ability, he could stand to give his brain a quick rest. “Student #162,” the instructor called to him, “sit properly in your chair!”

Light groaned. “Fine.”

Homura turned towards the commotion, and that’s when she saw him. The same boy who was following her on the train the day she killed Raye Penber, but made no attempt to stop her. The same boy who was there when she killed Naomi Misora and seemed to pay no mind to it. The same boy who gave her the Death Note that day…

“If you want to change your fate, come to Kamihama City. Magical Girls can be saved here. Magical Girls… are justice.”

She almost laughed, remembering his strange proverb. Because, he was right. She was living proof of that, for she was a Magical Girl, but she was also Kira.

And Kira is justice...

* * *

“You’re a college student, now. That’s kind of exciting! I’m filled with joy.”

“Don’t try to flatter me.” Homura sighed.

“Now, for the freshmen address,” the headmaster called. “Freshman representative Homura Akemi.”

“Yessir.”

“And freshman representative Sayuki Fumino.”

“Oh! Uh, h-here.”

The other students began to whisper among themselves. “You mean the pop idol?”

“That chick? Sure, she’s not plain dumb, but there’s no way she’s got the brains to get into a school like To-Oh.”

Sayuki walked on and stood next to Homura.

“Yeah, you’re right. _He_ doesn’t look anything like the real Sayuki Fumino.”

Homura was the first to give their speech. “As all of us embark on this new chapter of our lives…”

She wasn’t sure the other students were paying attention, but she didn’t really care that much. “The student with the highest score gets to be representative, right?”

“Yeah. So, they must’ve _both_ got it.”

“Look at that girl, she looks like she was groomed to be a genius.”

“...freshman representative, Homura Akemi.”

She stepped aside and passed the paper to Sayuki. “As we embark on this new chapter in our lives…”

“Well, so does he, kinda.”

“No way! That kid’s totally a mad genius.”

“I think I like the one on the right…”

“What?! You’re so weird, Fujiko.”

“...freshman representative, Sayuki Fumino.”

The two went back to their seats for the remainder of the ceremony. “Homura Akemi, I’ve been waiting for you…”

“You’re a Magical Girl from Mitakihara, and you’ve gained quite the reputation for your twisted concept of the fate of Magical Girls. It’s been three years now since Sayaka Miki mysteriously disappeared, but you know what happened to her, don’t you? At least, what _would_ have happened if not for Madoka Kaname?”

 _How does he know about Madoka?!_ She noticed the cat crawl out of his bag and sit on his shoulder. _Wait, is that--_

Sayuki reached up and pet the cat, now that he knew she could see it. “You’re here studying criminal investigation, right? If you’re interested, I have information regarding the Kira case that I think you should know about, so long as you promise to keep it a secret.”

 _Something seems off about how much he knows about Magical Girls. Did Kyubey make a Contract with him? There’s really no reason for him not to. In the old world, there was no use for Magical Boys because they didn’t become Witches, but that shouldn’t be a problem now that Witches don’t exist. Still, I wonder what this information is…_ “I won’t tell anyone. What is it?”

“I just… wanted to let you know…” Sayuki leaned over to whisper in her ear, in an almost singsong tone, “I know who L is~”

 _What?! N-no, if he really did know L’s identity, he wouldn’t tease me like that, let alone reveal it! Stop. Don’t act surprised. On the off chance he’s telling the truth, I have to act how the infamous Homura Akemi would act in this situation. There’d be no reason for her to be afraid._ “Is that so? Well, then you have nothing but my respect and admiration.”

“That’s something you should say to him.”

The cat on his shoulder- Kyubey- mewed. “I, for one, actually think you could be of some help to us on the Kira investigation, Homura Akemi.”

_This is bad… I can’t do anything to him! If he were to die right after giving me this information, it would only confirm their suspicions. Although it’s obvious that “Sayuki Fumino” is an alias, it still complicates things. Even if I get lucky and it isn’t an alias, if I try to kill him just by writing his name in the Death Note, I might accidentally picture the face of that pop idol and end up killing her instead. But even aside from all of that, he’s the one who gave me the Death Note, so he knows for a fact no matter what that I’m Kira. What do I do?..._

* * *

“Hey!” Light’s little sister, Sayu, called. “Welcome home, Mr. To-Oh!”

Light locked his bedroom door behind him and sat down at his desk, giggling to himself like a small child. He suddenly sprang out of his chair and scooped Kyubey up, spinning the two around. “We got her, we got her, we-got-her we-got-her we got her~!”

* * *

Homura slammed her fists down on the table. “Damn Yagami! I’ve never been so humiliated in my life! The Death Note can only kill the person whose name is written in it, so it’s not like I can arrange for him to kill L.”

 _Homura is usually so calm, but she snapped,_ Ryuk thought. _This must be really getting to her._

* * *

“It’s already too late for her to do anything since we’ve approached her and spilled the beans on L.” Light chuckled. “If we die now, everything points back to her! That should get her Soul Gem dark enough, right?”

Kyubey nodded. “For L, you serving as his double is a solid defense and allows him to confront Kira directly. We can defend _and_ attack.”

* * *

_He got me, it was a good move. I’m sure I haven’t seen the last of Light Yagami. He’ll keep trying to move in on me, playing the absent-minded genius, and we’ll pretend like nothing’s going on._

Homura began to laugh, subtly at first, but quickly becoming unhinged. “This is perfect. There’s no reason for me to worry. After all, this is proof that they don’t have anything on me yet. So, this whole thing is nothing more than a contest between me and L. A match of wits. It ends when I decide and we both drink, and we see who is right… and who is dead. On the surface, we’ll be two friendly classmates, but in reality, we’ll be enemies investigating each other. This is getting interesting…”

* * *

**Some months ago...**

_Day in and day out, the same news on permanent repeat... This world is... rotting..._

The boy stumbled downstairs. "Mom?"

"Yes, Light?--" His mother gasped, running to his side.

"I did something stupid... Please don't be mad at me..."


End file.
